The Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity named its sweetheart Friday night, raising $1,100 for the Alzheimer’s Association in the process. TKE’s first sweetheart pageant crowned women’s studies freshman and Pi Beta Phi member Colleen Tighe sweetheart for the school year and awarded her a $400 scholarship. The pageant was held as part of the fraternity’s philanthropy.

Martin Falcon, a pre-business sophomore and TKE social and philanthropy chair, said their philanthropy last year was the “”TKE Ride to Remember Classic Car Show,”” and this year they wanted to do something with the sweethearts.

“”TKE was looking for a sweetheart that was an all-around student that actually cares about the UA community and wants to improve it, as well as Greek life,”” he said.

The fraternity went to each of the sorority houses and asked them to select one to three girls who were active in the local and UA communities as well as Greek life.

Lauren Urratio, a pre-business freshman and Gamma Phi Beta member, won a $100 scholarship as the runner up. “”It was really fun, I really got to meet all the TKE guys. They were really sweet and they really cared about me and what I needed to do get things done for the pageant,”” she said.

During the week before, contestants worked for points selling pageant tickets and earning spirit points at events held on the mall.

But as Friday night arrived, gowns and talents became the main commodity for final points.

The judges were selected from outside of Greek life, just to make things fair, said Falcon.

“”All that the TKE’s put into the pageant and how much they wanted it to happen and how much they wanted it to be such a fun event really kept me motivated, because I wanted to put as much into it as they did,”” Urratio said.

That motivation and the TKE’s commitment to the pageant was apparent when Falcon said, “”We didn’t get any sponsors (for the pageant). It was kind of weird.””

Businesses they went to told them they over-budgeted, said Falcon. “”(So) we paid all of it out of our own pocket. But it’s fine because it was well worth it, because we made $11,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association.””

“”I love all the other fraternities’ and sororities’ philanthropies and I try to go to theirs as much as I would want them to come to ours,”” said Urratio.

Falcon said after this year’s pageant success, they plan hold the pageant every fall.